A microcode-based environment for noninvasive performance analysis

Authors:
S. W. Melvin;Y. N. Patt
Affiliations:
Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA;Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Venue:
MICRO 19 Proceedings of the 19th annual workshop on Microprogramming
Year:
1986

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Abstract

We have developed an environment which allows us to collect data for performance analysis by modifying the microcode of a VAX 8600. This use of microprogramming permits data to be collected with minimal system perturbation (i.e. the data is almost as good as that obtained with a hardware monitor) but at the cost and with the ease of use of a software simulator. In this paper we describe the environment that we have developed and present two examples of its use. The first example, procedure call instrumentation, illustrates a technique for gathering data on how certain architectural features are used. The second example, instruction tracing, illustrates a technique for collecting data that can then be used in trace—driven simulation.